


Call It Healing If It Means You Stay

by Winterchildboobear



Category: The Umbrella Academy (Comics), The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Attempted Sexual Assault, Blow Jobs, Diego Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Diego Hargreeves is Bad at Feelings, Drug Abuse, Drug Addict Klaus Hargreeves, Drug Addiction, Drugged Sex, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Has PTSD, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, Klaus Hargreeves-centric, M/M, Mentioned Reginald Hargreeves, No Apocalypse (Umbrella Academy), Panic Attacks, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Rough Sex, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Stuttering Diego Hargreeves, Teenage Drama, life before the show
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:29:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22996969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winterchildboobear/pseuds/Winterchildboobear
Summary: The one where klaus left the academy and fell farther into the drug hole. Ending up as a stripper to earn money for his drugs, and ends up owing the wrong people money after his boyfriend’s addiction cost them more than they could’ve imagined.Diego has to decide if he is willing to give his brother a chance after Patch brings Klaus to him in a last chance rescue of a desolate Klaus who has lost all that he built himself after leaving the academy. And his brother who didn’t try to make him stay
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 38
Kudos: 228





	1. Redemption Is Not That Far

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Please leave kudos if you like this. I am so happy to read your comments about what you like, stick around and more chapters are to come!

Shivering Klaus ran down the ally, his skin bursting into goose bumps as the wind blew his tattered robe behind him. A sad and dirty mocking cape around his shoulders.   
  
_Fuck. A dead end._ Glancing around, Klaus felt panic flare up in his throat. The lamplight across the street dimly lit behind him. But otherwise the street was empty of life. 

Throwing himself behind a dumpster, Klaus huddled against the cold metal. He could almost fold over out of exhaustion. Something beneath the dumpster hissed and ran away. His chest screamed in pain as his heart beat against his ribs so painfully that he couldn’t help but wince.

Leaning his head against the wall beside him, he tried to calm his breathing. Heavy puffs of air pushing through his nose as his bare feet slipped on something that he doesn’t even want to imagine. 

“Where did that bitch go!” A man’s voice yelled. Klaus slapped a hand over his mouth. Afraid his panting would give him away.   
  
“I could swear he came this way. He left his stupid flip flops back on the corner.” The voice was soon joined by two more, agreeing with the statement. “Go check down that ally, if he is down there we will find him.” 

Nausea swept through Klaus causing his head to spin as saliva flooded his mouth. His lungs wheezed painful gasps of air from between his fingers. Dimly he noted that they were shaking, withdrawals full force, angry and wrecking his body in anyway it could. 

The sound of a foot kicking a garbage can startled Klaus. Grumbling about something about mud on his shoe, one of the men cursed.   
  
“I swear, if we find this faggot I am going to absolutely destroy him. I ruined my fucking pants for this shit.” 

“No kidding. I’m gonna take it out of his skin, thinking he could just not pay us after-“

”Is there a problem gentleman?” Klaus’ head perked up as a flashlight shone into the ally. _An officer_. 

“No sir, we thought we heard something down here. Just checking it out!” One of the men replied before he shuffled back towards the entrance.   
  
Klaus turned his head as much as he dared, the sliver between the wall and dumpster showing him the backs of three men.   
  
“Why don’t I check it out, you guys can go on now.” The men glanced at each other, after a minute the leader nodded and brushed past the officer. His buddies trudging behind him.   
  
There was a minute of silence as they receded down the street. 

The light swung towards the back of the ally, skating over Klaus’ wide, staring eyes. 

Throwing himself against the wall, he held his breath.   
_  
For the love or God, go away. Please, please, please._

“Is anyone down here?” Footsteps came closer to Klaus’ hiding spot. 

Digging his fingers into his thighs, Klaus tried to ignore the pounding in his bones.   
_God, why was he so hot?_ Suddenly his head spun again. Lurching forward, Klaus vomited onto a pile of spilled garbage. 

The smiling face on a Little Debbie wrapper stared back at him. Grimacing, he felt his body convulse again. His stomach finally having taken enough, betrayed him till he was left dry heaved on the filthy floor of an ally. 

Retching a few more times, Klaus groaned. He was bent over on his hands and knees with a puddle of vomit below him on the ground.

His head hung towards his chest in misery. Saliva hung from a strand on his lip. _Disgusting_. He sniffled as a few stray years made their way down his cheeks. 

“Hello? Sir, can you hear me?” _Right. The officer._

Klaus pushed himself up, groaning at the pain that radiated through his palms. Sitting on his haunches, he balanced on his ankles. Swaying only slightly as he let his head fall backwards to rest against his shoulders. Breathing deeply, he tried to ignore the smell of vomit that clung in his nose.   
  
“He is unresponsive, I’m not sure how to approach.” The officer was staring at Klaus, his head tilted to speak into a walkie-talkie that was strapped to his shoulder. The flashlight was partially forgotten, aimed at Klaus, sitting solidly on the center of his bare chest. 

Lifting his hands, klaus examined the sidewalk burn on his palms. Beads of blood smeared across the Hello and Goodbye. _I don’t remember falling earlier.  
_

 _“_ Okay, buddy. We are gonna take you to my car okay. Are you okay to walk?” The officer pointed the light towards the ground as he approached. He crouched to look into Klaus’ eyes.

He was young, maybe early twenties. Big, worried eyes scanned Klaus’ body, _probably looking for injuries. I was just chased down by three thugs_. 

Klaus chuckled bitterly. He used to look the same way, confused and worried. Afraid of fucking up a shit situation even more so than it was.

The officer raised an eyebrow, the confusion growing more evident at the dry chuckle. 

“What’s up, Rookie,” Klaus slurred. Exhaustion weighed heavy at his eyes, while his tongue felt like it had grown two pounds heavier. 

“Possibly inebriated. Patch, please pull around for me would ya? This isn’t gonna be easy to transport him.” A woman responded from the walkie-talkie and then he was back to staring. His blonde hair filled Klaus’ view.

“I knew a boy with blonde hair,” Klaus mumbled. 

“Oh yeah? What was his name?” Relief flooded the officer’s voice, for some sort of response probably. Klaus was pretty out of it. 

“I dunno,” Klaus bent his head to avoid eye contact as he picked at his palm, hissing when he pulled a small stone out of one of the crevices. “His head was blown off, he never had a name. He didn’t have a mouth, ya know. It was blown off.” 

“Fuck. Okay, did those guys do that?” The officer pushed a hand through his hair, obviously feeling out of his league.   
  
“Oh, no. This was-“ Klaus bit his lip. He couldn’t just tell him that it was a twelve year old kid who haunted him occasionally. He would definitely be thrown into the loony bin. “It was during the war.” Klaus glanced up at the man from below his eyelashes. 

“Um,” the man shook his head. “Listen-“ He was cut off as two head lights turned down the ally, effectively blinding them both.

Klaus couldn’t turn his eyes away, they burned at the change in lighting. The officer held up a hand, blocking the light as he started to speak, glancing at Klaus he gave a reassuring smile.

”It’s my superior. She’ll know what to do, okay?” Klaus nodded.   
  
The car door slammed as a women made her way to where Klaus was knelt. 

“How are you doing?” She asked as she crouched to sit on her calves too. Her face was kind, warm skin and beautiful eyes watching his face. Klaus shrugged and turned to stare at the man again. It was easier. He didn’t have the same soft eyes as mom 

_God I miss mom.  
_

It was over two years ago that Klaus left the academy, cussing his way out of the two iron gates. Reginald had brought up starting personal training again, like when Klaus was sixteen. _Fuck that_. He was almost nineteen, he could do whatever he wanted to do and so he left.

Everyone else had watched him leave, silent and unsure of how to say goodbye. Diego had started to follow him, but when Klaus looked at him, he stopped and turned his eyes to the floor.   
  
Ben tried to convince Klaus to stay, drug addict and homeless wasn’t a good combination according to him. 

_Ben_. It had been weeks since Klaus had seen Ben. Sobriety and drug dealers had taken up most of Klaus’ attention. It’s difficult to summon your dead brother while you barf your brains out and fall into cold fevers for days on end. 

“We have to take him in, he is obviously on something.” _Patch_.

”I don’t think he is,” _actually righ_ t. “He is hurting, Patch. Look at him, he is skin and bones held together with terror.” The pity in his voice made Klaus’ skin crawl. 

“We have to take him somewhere, he has to have someone.” Patch cursed,

”You are just as bad as Diego, Mark.” Klaus’ head shot up so fast he was sure he had whiplash.   
  
“Diego?” His whispered. _Diego_. He had talked about trying to join the police academy. _Maybe he is here_. Klaus looked wildly behind Patch, craning to see if anyone else stood beside the car. 

“Calm down. We are right here.” Mark said, noting Klaus’ agitated stance. 

“You said Diego,” Klaus lurched towards Patch. Grabbing her hands in his own. She withheld an obvious grimace. 

“You know him?” She asked. Klaus nodded as fast as his sore body would let him. 

“Broody? Tall, Hispanic, little thing on his head,” Klaus drug a finger across the side of his scalp in an imitation of Diego’s scar.   
  
“How do you know him?” Wonder filled Mark’s voice. 

Klaus’ eyes filled with tears and a sob pulled itself from his chest as he rubbed at his eyes. “He is my brother, I just need to go find him.” 

The officers looked at each other in silence. A sobbing mad man between them. 

“Please, please call him. I don’t have anyone else. I-I’ll do anything you want. Name it, just call Diego.” Klaus was shifting his gaze between them desperately. 

“I’ll call him, okay? Don’t worry about it. You just breath for now, what’s your name?” Patch rested a hand on Klaus’ shoulder. 

“It’s Klaus,” he mumbled. His body swaying, legs too tired to hold him up in a crouch anymore Klaus let himself crash onto his ass.

The cold finally registering, he tugged his robe tightly around himself. It didn’t offer much help, but it was comforting none the less. 

Mark sat in silence with him as Patch argued on the phone beside the car. Klaus strained to hear what she was saying. 

“-uck you. He is your brother?” Patch glanced over at Klaus. Obvious disbelief colouring her face.   
  
“Adopted!” Klaus yelled, holding a peace sign up into the air. Patch smiled a little. 

“I won’t take no as an option. I don’t care how heartless-“ Irritation radiated off her form. 

Klaus turned to Mark,

”Diego rubs people the wrong way sometime. You know, Broody eyebrows and all.” Mark smiled, 

“I wouldn’t know, I was his replacement after he got fired a few months ago.” Klaus’ eyes widened. _His dream job fired him?_

“But why? Diego only ever talked about it, he said he’d-“

”We are dropping you off at Diego’s.” Patch interrupted. 

Klaus’ body ran cold. Fear settling in his stomach at the idea of facing his brother _sober_ for the first time, in probably eight years.   
  
“Actually, I’m okay,” He babbled, waving a hand. “Really, he doesn’t want to see me. I’ll just-“

”Klaus,” Patch snapped. His mouth shut with an audible _plop_. Green eyes staring in silence as she breathed to calm herself. 

“Just get in the car, please. Diego is waiting for you.” Klaus nodded. Scrambling to stand up, he was led to the car. Mark opened the back door so Klaus could crawl in. 

“We are about twenty minutes away, but we will get you there soon, okay?” Patch said, her eyes watching Klaus in the mirror as he crawled and laid down on the seats.   
  
Klaus mumbled a response, but didn’t move from laying across the seats. His long legs pulled to his chest as he stared into the dark back.   
  
Mark and Patch whispered in hushed tones in the front. But Klaus could hear snippets.

”Drug deal?” Klaus closed his eyes and sighed. 

“Pretty mad about taking him. He’ll get over it.” It caused a sharp pain to fill Klaus’ chest. _Of course Diego doesn’t want to take me in, it’s been two years since he’s seen me. I was a raging drug addict back then._

Sniffling miserably, Klaus tried to stay awake, but the lull of the car slowly pulled him into a deep sleep and Patch whispered about Diego to Mark. 


	2. Smeared Eyeliner And Closed Off Face

“Hey, Klaus. Get up.” 

“Go away, Pogo. I’m not going today,” Klaus mumbled. He pulled his legs closer to his chest and tried to inch away from the hand that was shaking his shoulder lightly.   
  
“What the fuck kind of name is Pogo?” A women said.

_Women?_

Klaus’ eyes snapped open as he pushed himself upright. The hand quickly retreated from his body. Klaus frowned as he looked at Mark, who smiled apologetically before turning back in his seat to face to road.

Klaus swallowed thickly and looked out the window. They were on the outskirts of town, the street lights slowly dying off as the streets grew further away from the busy city.   
  
“You guys taking me somewhere special before you off me?” Klaus joked, he tried to make it sound lighthearted but it came off flat. 

“We are almost to your brother’s house,” the women driving replied. 

“Oh. Thanks, Pat,” Klaus rubbed at his tired eyes.

“It’s Patch.” Mark snickered. _Oops_.   
  
“That should be it on the right.” Mark directed as he looked at the GPS.

Patch turned into a row of apartment buildings. “He moved.” She commented offhand. Mark glanced at her,

”How do you know?” Klaus tilted his head in curiosity, but Patch did not reply or look at either of them.

Instead she parked and climbed out of her door, before opening Klaus’ and staring at him, a silent _move it_. 

With a heavy sigh, Klaus slid out of the backseat. His feet hitting the cold pavement, he hissed at the sting that accompanied it. _I guess losing your shoes and running down shitty allies isn’t a great idea._ He huffed at the loss of his Hello Kitty flip flops. 

_“_ Are you coming?” Mark asked, not unkindly. Klaus nodded and shuffled behind them as they made their way to a flight of stairs.

”Check up there for 2B,” Patch motioned to the stairs. Klaus watched as Mark silently ascended.

Thirty seconds later a quiet “Found it.” 

“Come on you, Diego is waiting,” Patch nudged Klaus forward. A cold sweat covered his body as they neared the top.

_Surely Diego would kick him out, say a quick ‘Sup bro’ and tell him to try to go back to the academy._

Patch nodded at Mark, who knocked three times on the door. Klaus examined the chipped paint and silver 2B. The B was crooked, and a scrape ran through the middle of it.

The door swung open, revealing a rumpled Diego. His mouth was set into a firm line, sleep tumbled hair fell across his forehead without his meticulous gel holding it in place.   
  
Klaus quickly turned his gaze to the ground, taking in the mix-matched socks and baggy sweatpants. _Sweatpants_.   
  
“Klaus?” Diego breathed, his voice heavy with sleep. Klaus flinched at the awe in his voice, instead he took a deep breath.

”I took you for a boxer sleeping guy,” Klaus blurted. He winced as they all looked at him in shock. Diego blinked slowly, dragging a hand down his face he sighed.   
  
“Guess you haven’t changed much.” 

”Can I leave him with you? He said he didn’t have anywhere else to go,” Patch said, it didn’t really sound like a question. _More like a say yes and don’t argue_ statement.   
  
Diego nodded before beckoning Klaus inside. Shuffling past his brother, Klaus avoided looking at either Patch or Mark. His face was warm with the shame of Patch exposing his situation. 

Diego placed a hand on the small of his back as Klaus passed him, a soft guide into the doorway. It loosened some of the pressure in Klaus’ chest.

”Why don’t you go sit on the couch around the corner, I’ll be right there,” Diego whispered as he pushed him further into the apartment.

Silently Klaus nodded and moved into the small living room. A tattered couch and recliner were pressed against the wall, while a wide leather chair sat across from them. A table with a tiny box tv stood in the corner. It was _homey_. Shifting uncomfortably, Klaus ignored the thought and instead flopped onto the couch.   
  
He lay on his side, head against the arm as he listened to the others at the doorway.

”-three big guys.” Mark said. 

“It was probably a drug deal gone bad, he is probably on something right now as well. I’d take him in to get checked, I don’t want to leave him here at risk of an OD in his sleep.” Patch’s voice was off. It seemed calculated compared to earlier. 

“I would be shocked if he wasn’t,” Diego replied. _That hurt._ Klaus felt his eyes sting with the arrival of tears. _It’s been years since he’s seen me,_ he told himself. 

Tuning them out, Klaus focused on his breathing. Trying to force away the pounding headache behind his eyes. Suddenly the light from the doorway faded out and with a slide of a deadbolt the apartment was rendered silent.   
  
Holding his breath Klaus listened to Diego fumble through the dark. After a bit of rustling, a small lamp beside the leather chair turned on. 

Klaus averted his eyes to stare at the chair, ignoring the questions burning in Diego’s brown eyes.

His brother sighed as the silence continued, scratching at his head he dropped himself into the chair.

Nibbling his lip, Klaus pulled his legs up to his chest. His robe tucked tightly around him.   
  
”Do you want some comfortable clothes?” Diego asked. Klaus shook his head but he got up anyway and disappeared into another room. He emerged a few seconds later with a pile of neatly folded sweatpants and a shirt.

“Listen, you have to talk to me,” He sat the clothes beside Klaus’ feet, and returned to his chair.

He sat there, chin resting on his fists as Klaus slowly sat up. His shaky arms giving away the nerves that radiated beneath his skin.   
  
“You on something?” Diego, a man of few words. Klaus shook his head, picking at his nails, staring to the left of Diego’s face.   
  
“Don’t lie to me, Klaus.” 

“What have I got to lose by telling the truth here, De?” Klaus challenged. Hurt filled his chest. He was sober and no one fucking believed him when he said so. 

Diego was silent, his mouth open slightly in shock at Klaus’ outburst.   
  
“Okay,” He didn’t sound fully convinced, but it was something.“Well it’s almost midnight, you look like death. Let me get you in the shower and we can get you to bed.”

Nodding, he stood stiffly and grabbed the clothes beside him. Following Diego across the apartment, he chewed on a finger nail in silence.

In the bathroom, Diego motioned for him to sit on the toilet as he started the shower water. Klaus shivered as the water slowly warmed.  
  
“Are you hurt?” Diego asked, turning to look into Klaus’ face.

Shrugging Klaus ducked his head. He didn’t deserve to be babied. Diego was probably growing more irritated with him and his silence,

”I don’t-I don’t think so?” 

“What does that mean?” Diego asked, his voice was patient if not confused. Klaus huffed and nodded,

”M-my feet maybe.” Diego moved to the cupboard beneath the sink, grabbing a small first aid box. It had a comical red cross across the side. 

Kneeling before Klaus, Diego motioned for him to give his foot. Grasping it, he examined his sole before humming in disappointment.

”Sit on the tub, we have to wash these first.” Klaus nodded and pushed himself to his feet, wincing as the pain was even more unbearable now. 

Easing himself onto the far end, Klaus let his feet sit in the water. The water wasn’t hot, but warm enough that his toes tingled with the sudden temperature change. His eyes slipped closed as his body acclimated, exhaustion hung about him in a dark cloud. It caused his chin to drop against his chest, straining his neck but almost unavoidable.   
  
A gentle poke at his ankle made Klaus peek over at Diego, who was kneeling near the faucet, soap and a wet rag in hand. 

“Want me to?” Diego asked, his eyebrow raised. Klaus shook his head and reached for the rag, his body sluggishly complying. But Diego frowned and brushed his hands away,

”It’s okay, let me. I don’t mind,” He gently lifted his foot, so he could swipe the rag across his sole. Shame was boiling in Klaus’ chest, he couldn’t even wash his own feet. It was miserable. 

Diego glanced at Klaus when he heard a few wet sniffles, if he noticed tears sliding down Klaus’ nose he didn’t say anything. Instead he worked at cleaning his feet, tisking as Klaus’ reflexes tried to drag his foot away from a few painful swipes. 

“How did you even manage to tear your feet up this bad,” Diego chastised as he pulled the bath’s plug. Klaus stared at the brown water as it swirled down the drain,

”Ya know how dad always said flip flops would fail me in battle?” Diego didn’t respond.   
  
“The bastard was right,” Klaus chuckled humorously before hunching over to rest his head in his hands. 

“Guess he has that going for himself,” Diego stood up, his knee popping as he went. “I am almost done, come on.”   
  
Klaus looked at Diego’s face for the first time that night. He looked tired and aged. But better, healthy and his full twenty two, or was it _three_. 

He looked..lighter? Like a weight was gone from his mind. He didn’t carry that same brooding air around him, he seemed calm.   
  
Klaus couldn’t help but to stare, drinking in his features. It has been years since he’d seen him. Last he knew, Diego was still sneaking out to find miserable excuses for robbers and trying to serve them justice.

He wasn’t great at it, but he wouldn’t give it up no matter how many times Klaus had to do this exact same situation with him. Cleaning stupid wounds, helping care for him so he wouldn’t die in his sleep while six..five others slept clueless on the same hall. 

“Klaus...”

He hummed.

“Are you okay?” Concern was so heavy in those three words that Klaus didn’t even know what to say, a sarcastic response seemed so far out of reach. So instead he looked into Diego’s eyes and hoped that his own would convey the amount of exhaustion and absolute sense of loss that he was feeling.   
  
Diego must have seen something, because he slowly nodded, glancing around the small bathroom as he collected himself. 

“Come on, twist your body so we can get your feet bandaged. I won’t lie, they’re pretty rough. I think there is some glass in your left foot.” 

“That would makes sense,” Klaus moved so his feet hung outside the tub. Diego gave him a questioning glance as he kneeled in front of him, another rag and bottle of disinfectant in hand. _Mom used to use that kind._

“My foot is in excruciating pain.” Diego’s eyes widened at his brother admission. He probably expected Klaus to make some bullshit excuse or joke up. But fuck he was too tired. 

“Dude you have to tell me that shit,” irritation coloured Diego’s voice.   
  
Klaus sat in silence, rigid and eyes wide. Diego’s grip on his ankle was tight, uncomfortable. His heart filled his ears, he locked his eyes on the doorway behind Diego. _He knew the way out right? A left..no a right_.   
  
“I’m sorry,” Diego murmured, his head bumping against Klaus’ knee as he bowed his head. “Please chill. You’re fine, I’m just tired. It’s late, and you’re shit at taking care of yourself.” He was right, _obviously_ about the last part. 

Klaus looked around the room as Diego started to clean his feet. The bubbling of peroxide was loud in the silence of the bathroom. Horrible, ugly teal towels were hung on a crappy metal towel hook. A toothbrush cup in the shape of some action figure held a purple toothbrush. 

Klaus whimpered as Diego started on the glass in his heel. A comforting sound left his brothers mouth as he pat his knee before working at a stubborn piece.   
  
Klaus glanced in the shower, examining the ‘ _Watermelon Wonder’_ kids shampoo. A little monkey was dancing with a watermelon in hand.

“Watermelon Wonder, really?” A small smile tugged at his lips. Diego snorted and nodded,

”You used to love that shit. Plus it’s cheap, so leave it be. It’s better than Super Strawberry,” Diego tossed a piece of glass into the bin beside the toilet. “That stuff smells awful.”

“I guess I did use that,” Klaus couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a bath. _I love baths, god I miss laying in a hot bath._ They lapsed into silence again as Diego wrapped a cotton bandage around both of Klaus’ feet, securing gauze, covered in something cooling, against his soles. 

“Can you change by yourself?” Diego eyed Klaus’ body doubtfully. Klaus glared back, biting his cheek to hold a snappy retort back. 

”Honestly, bro. You look like you might keel over if you try to stand up and do something like that.”   
  
“I can manage.” 

”Klaus, just let me-“

”This isn’t the first time I am putting clothes on while in pain, and fuck you very much, it won’t be the last time.” Klaus pushed himself up, snagging the cotton shirt from the sink counter. 

He shakily grasped the sleeve of his robe and pried his arm out, before letting it fall to the ground with a quiet ruffle of fabric. Wincing, he pulled the new shirt over his head, ignoring the hurt on Diego’s face. 

Reaching to unbutton his pants, pain shot through his lower back, effectively knocking the wind out of his lungs. Standing upright, Klaus glared at the wall. 

“I am comfortable in my own pants, thank you.”

”Liar,” Diego shot back. He was frowning now, but at the shirt that hung like a baggy sweatshirt from Klaus’ frame.   
  
“And you know that how?” Klaus snapped. 

”Because they are covered in vomit.”

Klaus glanced down at his favourite pair of leather pants, and indeed. Vomit was caked down one of the legs. 

“I don’t mind it,” Klaus squeaked. Diego didn’t say anything, instead he pushed closer and grasped the waistband of Klaus’ pants, glancing at Klaus’ face he waiting for his brother to react.   
  
When Klaus said nothing, he deftly unbuttoned the leather and helped to shimmy them down Klaus’ bony hipbones before helping him to pull each foot out of the clinging fabric. 

Klaus swallowed his pride, and allowed his brother to help him pull the soft fabric of the sweatpants on. It was amazing compared to the leather pants he had been wearing for...a while. 

“You’re always so damn stubborn and mouthy,” Diego grumbled as he threw the clothes into a hamper hidden in the small closet beside the doorway. 

”I’ve changed,” Klaus muttered as he yawned. The comfortable, warm clothing was causing his body to feel tired. 

“Come on, you can have the bed.” Too tired to argue, Klaus stumbled after Diego as he lead him into his bedroom. 

Like everything else in the apartment, it was small. But comfy. Klaus all but leapt into the bed, his body sinking immediately into the mattress. _When was the last time he slept in a bed without someone else?_

Diego snagged one of the extra pillows from the bed before tossing the blanket over Klaus’ body. A satisfied moan sounded from the mound of blankets.

“You stay here and sleep, I’ll see you in the morning.” Diego slipped out the door, leaving Klaus warm and in the dark. Not soon after the door clicked shut, Klaus’ slipped into a deep, empty sleep. 


	3. Chipped China and Coke Trails

Klaus’ body moved with the sporadic club lights around him, twirling on the dance floor mindlessly. The rave’s music encouraging his wide movements, blissfully relaxed in his own little world.   
  
The concoction of Jell-O shots and whatever drugs were shoved in his hands earlier, left his body buzzing. Endless amounts of energy surged through his every cell, it felt was exhilarating.

Klaus’ body didn’t feel anything yet it also felt everything at once. His senses hyper aware of the bodies around him, feeling how they were moving in rhythmic unison. The dance floor was a rolling wave of hips and limbs, twirling together in an intimate hoard of drug fuelled limbos.   
  
“Klaus!” Kiley, a short woman with bright pink hair emerged at his elbow.

Klaus met Kiley while she was working on the corner, just a few weeks after he had left the academy. He had coach surfed with a few of his jail buddies in the beginning, but eventually he was left to wander the streets. 

“Take these,” three pills were shoved into Klaus’ hand. He squinted at them in the low light noting that one of them had a smiley face etched into its flat surface. 

“What is it?” He yelled above the music. But Kiley was already gone, moving against a muscular man who was pressed against her back. Klaus watched as he groped her breasts, tugging her body against him to press into. 

Undoubtedly, he would end up a client by the end of the night. Kiley never had a problem with finding people to hook up with, for the right price.

Klaus had to admit she was hot. She had an intriguing air about her that brought men and women to her like flies to honey.

When Klaus and she first met, she was living in a shitty apartment with two of her co-workers. They hit it off immediately. For a few weeks they hung out during her dead hours, bumbing weed off each other and talking till someone showed up.

But one night someone offered to pick Klaus up instead. He soon moved in and picked up the trade after that, falling into a rhythm of partying, working corners, bars and transgressing through the alphabet of drugs. 

This club in particular, The Lonely Maiden, was one of their most popular clubs to hit up. It was more often than not, in the basement of a beauty salon whose owner rented it out on weekends. Though they never stayed in one place for long.

Whenever it did pop up, they always showed up. Often enough all eyes were on the duo as they came in as they were well known to the hidden rave community beneath the city streets. 

Kiley was busty, short and unafraid, she walked like the owned the place. She caught everyone’s attention, their eyes tended to follow her wherever she went.

Klaus on the other hand, moved behind her like a shadow. His trademark dark eyeliner smudged around his eyes, leather pants clinging to his legs. He didn’t have the softness that Kiley’s body possessed, where she was curvy, he was all edges and flat planes. 

Klaus twisted his head around as warm hands moved their way up below the edge of his ‘Kiss Me I’m Irish’ crop top. Effectively tearing him out of his own thoughts, a shiver rippled through him causing his skin to explode into goosebumps. He felt like he could combust with overstimulation.

Klaus peered up at the man behind him as his body pressed against Klaus from chest to thigh.

He hummed happily as the taller man started to sway with his body. Tipping his head back to rest against his shoulder, he smiled broadly.   
  
“Well how do you do,” Klaus drawled, tossing the pills into his mouth he swallowed dry. The man leaned his head forward to brush his lips against the shell of Klaus’ ear as he spoke. 

“I’m Zeke,” his voice was deep and vibrated in his ear. Klaus twisted in his arms to face him, taking in his broad shoulders and dark gelled hair, he smirked. _Definitely my type._

“Klaus,” he introduced himself, smiling brightly again he wrapped his arms around Zeke’s shoulders. The beat of the music changed, becoming an even louder pulse in their ears.   
  
Closing his eyes, Klaus rolled his hips against Zeke’s, moving his body to his own slow and relaxed pace. The music made his chest feel like he was a ticking time bomb with every beat that resounded in his chest. 

Zeke’s hand moved to the front of Klaus’ pants, cupping him through the taunt leather. Klaus sighed, moving his hips forward to roll against the other man. 

“You are Kiley’s friend right?” Zeke gasped out, his voice breaking off into a moan as he dug his fingers into Klaus’ hips. Chucking, Klaus nodded. 

Kiley, as if she heard her name, appeared in his line of vision. She waved at Klaus over Zeke’s shoulder, coyly smiling as she was lead away by the man she was dancing with earlier. 

“Wanna head out?”

Klaus grabbed Zeke’s hand, pulling him through the crowd. Together they slipped past two drunk girls making out as Klaus examined the walls.

Soon he found one of the fire exits that lead to a side stairwell. Shoving through the door, he giggled as Zeke wrapping his hands around his waist as they tumbled into the hallway. 

A yelp escaped his lips as Zeke pushed him against the stairway wall. The cool concrete felt amazing against his burning skin, but it didn’t last long as he flipped him around so that Klaus’ back was firmly pressed to the wall.

Zeke’s thigh slotted between his legs, causing Klaus to moan deeply as his hips rutted against it on their own. Zeke didn’t seem to mind, he mouthed at the soft skin below Klaus’ ear, sucking a deep hicky into his skin. 

“How much?” Zeke’s lips trailed down Klaus’ neck, towards the dip in his collar bones.   
  
“Fuck,” Klaus let his head fall back to give him better access. “Depends on what you want, I’m feeling generous.” The drugs left Klaus’ head in a haze, his trail of thought dissipating as soon as it started. 

His mouth fell open as Zeke dropped to his knees, mouthed at his dick through his pants. 

“Uh” Klaus choked on a cough. “That isn’t how this usually goes.” Zeke didn’t say anything, but began to unlace the leather pants. Glancing up at Klaus he smiled reassuringly before placing a kiss on his exposed hipbone.

“Fuck, okay yeah,” Shimmying his pants down to his thighs, Klaus watched as Zeek licked at his dick. Dragging a line of warmth from the base to the tip. Suddenly his nerves were on fire, arousal flooded his veins causing his vision to go blurry.

A moan tore itself from deep inside Klaus, his head jerking so hard that it cracked against the stone. Stars filled his vision as Zeek sucked him into his mouth. His tongue massaging over Klaus’ dick. He slurped unashamed, moaning around the cock in his mouth as he pushed at the back of Klaus’ thighs, urging him to move into his mouth. 

”God, I-I am not going to last this way.” Zeke hummed deep in his throat, the vibration causing Klaus’ toes to curl. 

Digging a hand into Zeke’s hair, Klaus tried to focus on not exploding, the man literally hadn’t had him in his mouth longer than a minute. He almost felt bad when he noticed that his grip was ruining the carefully styled hair. But it left Zeke looking absolutely wrecked, so he moved his hand through it, throughly tousling it. 

The dim ‘Exit’ light at the top of the stairway illuminated them just enough for Klaus to make out Zeke’s mouth stretching around him. He looked absolutely breathtaking, hair ruffled and falling over his eyes, dark lashes casting shadows on his cheekbones as he moved to swallow further down his dick.

In his lap, he had his own cock pulled out, jerking himself off as he sucked Klaus.

”Hey,” Klaus breathed out, trying to force himself to calm down. He pushed lightly at Zeke’s shoulder, causing him to pull off. He looked up at Klaus in confusion, a thin line of spit trailing from his

”What’s wrong?” Zeke’s voice cracked. Absolutely _fucking_ hot. 

“God, nothing!” Klaus laughed, painfully aware of how his dick was pulsing for attention. “What do you want? This is all about you. I just-“

”This,” Zeke cut in. Sitting back on his calves, he placed both hands on Klaus’ hips as he stared up at him.

”This?” Confusion filled Klaus’ voice. 

“I want you to fuck my face while I jerk off.”

”Okay, yeah. That’s it?”

”Yeah.” Zeke watched Klaus’ face as he processed what was going on. 

“How hard?” A devilish smile grew on Klaus’ face, his hand coming down to give himself a few lazy strokes. 

  
Zeke licked his lips as he watched him. Arousal rolling off him in waves.

”Hard.” Klaus nodded and motioned for him to come forward. 

Crawling towards him, the larger man stared upwards at Klaus, who tapped a long finger against his abused lips. 

Opened his mouth, Zeke’s eyes fluttered shut as Klaus eased his cock into his throat against. The feeling of his warm mouth quivering around him, shot pleasure straight up Klaus’ spine. 

Grabbing at Zeke, Klaus placed a palm on the back of his head and started to move. Quickly pushing his hips forward, Klaus buried his cock into his throat. The muffling gagging only causing him to move faster. Zeke caught on quickly, swallowing around him occasionally, he desperately rolled his tongue over his cock.

A few strands of saliva rolled down his chin, leaving him absolutely filthy as he jerked himself off. The only sounds were Klaus moaning and the soft sounds of Zeke stroking himself as he sucked at the cock in his mouth. 

“You’ve got a mouth made for this,” Klaus dug his fingers into his hair as he fucked harder into his open mouth. Zeke only moaned and jerked himself faster.

“Put your fingers in your mouth,” Klaus breathed as he paused his hips. Confusion dawned on Zeke’s face, but he did as he was told, pulling off Klaus to shove two fingers in his mouth.

”Good, get them wet for me baby,” Klaus spread his thighs, shuffling his feet as his pants slid to rest on his ankles.   
  
“Okay, now suck my dick and slip two in my ass.”

Zeke’s eyes darkened and he lurched forward, shoving Klaus so deep in his throat that Klaus curled over him, his vision exploding into stars. A finger poked at his hole, circling it, spreading spit around before nudging slowly into his body. 

Klaus could only stand there, hips pistoning and resisting the urge to just plummet down onto his finger. Zeke caught onto Klaus’ inpatients and shoved his other finger in as he roughly starting up a pace. Klaus weakly pushed into his mouth, his own mouth open in wrecked pleasure that filled his body.   
  
Suddenly the pace changed, Zeke sucked harder, rolling him tongue as he fucked two fingers up into Klaus. 

Klaus screeched a moan as his fingers drove into his prostate, pounding into it without mercy.Zeke moaned around his cock, the desperate sound of his own dick being jerked filling the hallway. 

“God, I’m gonna- I’m gonna cum,” Klaus ground out. Forcing his eyes open, he watched as Zeke’s eyes fluttered shut, his body stilling as he pulsed out over his own hand.

The sight of Zeke cumming all over Klaus’ pants sent him over the edge.   
His hips thrust into Zeke’s slack mouth as he shot down his throat. 

They sat in silence for a minute, Zeke resting his head against Klaus’ hips, panting as Klaus forced himself to stay upright with two fingers still up his ass.

Zeke coughed, removing his fingers before he pushed himself to his feet.

Klaus tucked himself into his pants again as Zeke ruffled through his wallet. Shoving a handful of twenties into Klaus’ hand Zeke smiled, his hair sticking up at different angles.

“I will definitely be seeing you again.” his voice was gravel, his throat sounded absolutely fucked. 

Smiling, Klaus threw a weak peace sign as Zeke ducked out of the doorway. 

Sinking to the floor, Klaus sat and tried to grasp what just happened. Laughing to himself he drug a hand through his hair.

 _Fuck_.   
  


* * *

  
Zeke showed up a few more times, always at the club. They took turns fucking each other in the hallway. Klaus was high on Estecy when Zeke bent him over and pounded into him like their lives depended on it. He left teeth marks in Klaus’ shoulders that stayed for weeks.

Klaus was on LSD when Zeke begged him to fuck him, and he was on molly when they fucked slowly, taking their time with each other. 

After the fifth time, Zeke asked him on a date. Klaus had just finished blowing him when Zeke crouched down, grabbed his hands and asked him to go to his sister’s talent show with him. 

Klaus laughed, and shook his head. But then realised he was serious. Baffled, he agreed. 

Zeke kissed him.

* * *

Two months after Zeke blew Klaus in the hallway, they started dating. Klaus moved into Zeke’s apartment, Kiley was sad to see him go, but she knew he was happy and that life was looking upward for him. 

Zeke was everything Klaus wasn’t.

Raised in a family, popular kid with friends he’d known since kindergarten. He was bright, truly happy and kind. He was real, and he loved Klaus.   
  
He was soft. Nothing like the cold household that Klaus was raised in. He was open, emotional without embarrassment. He cried during Disney movies and laughed at the poor one liners. When Klaus shook his head at him, Zeke would bump their shoulders together, kiss his cheek and say,  


“Sometimes it’s good to laugh and enjoy simple things.”

Klaus would fake a scoff, and think on it for the rest of the movie. 

* * *

Three months into dating Zeke got into drugs with Klaus, who introduced him into the world of psychedelics. They ate shrooms together and danced at night clubs until they both collapsed. Laughing, they held hands and climbed up from the floor, ignoring the looks that were thrown their way. They drank at the bar, ordering vulgar named shots and walked back to to their apartment. 

The next day, they woke up at noon. Klaus sang and danced around the kitchen as he made blueberry pancakes. After breakfast, they smoked a joint together in their underwear, lounging on the carpeted floor of their bedroom.

Zeke occasionally whispered adorations, kissing Klaus’ knuckles as they passed the shrinking blunt between them. 

“I really love you,” Klaus murmured, his eyes half closed as Zeke kissed his face,

”I love you too, so much.” 

* * *

Four months after that, Zeke got into harder drugs. He was frustrated at Klaus who pleaded that it wasn’t safe for them to try heroin.

“Come on baby,” Zeke sighed. “Just a few times, I heard it’s really great.”

Nothing Klaus said would convince him that it wouldn’t just fuck him up, it would ruin him. 

“I have lost too many friends, please don’t,” Klaus sobbed when Zeke brought it up for the fifth time. It was Sunday, their room was muted with the shades drawn.

Zeke sighed and shushed klaus’ sniffles. He kissed his forehead and promised not to try anything without letting Klaus know first.   
  


Believing him, Klaus cuddled him tightly. Tracing shapes on his bare chest while Zeke hummed a _Hey Jude._

* * *

Three months later, Zeke overdosed on meth. He died in their bathroom, covered in his own vomit and scabs on his arms. Klaus didn’t know what to do, he stood in the doorway, completely silent for several minutes. Zeke’s motionless body was propped against the bathtub, a needle still hung from his forearm.

Ben stood behind Klaus, watching in horror as he lurched into action and tried to perform CPR on his boyfriend. 

Ben cried when Klaus gave up, his brother screamed in anguish as he held Zeke’s cold body to his chest. He sobbed and begged Zeke to stay with him, cursing his name for breaking his promise. 

In the morning, Klaus called the police, reporting an overdose on Linden Street, at apartment three. 

Numb to the world, he then shoved handfuls of clothes into a duffel bag. It was Zeke’s old basketball bag from high-school, where only three years earlier he was the team captain.   
  
Choking a sob down, Klaus threw everything he could grab into the bag. He didn’t really register what he grabbed, it just felt like he should get things together to take. The idea of leaving their home empty handed haunted him.

Their apartment was full of illegal substances, drugs littered the counters and table tops. There was no way Klaus could stay there when the police came to get Zeke’s body. Glancing the bathroom door that Klaus hadn’t opened since the night before when he found Zeke, Klaus ducked out of the doorway. 

* * *

“You owe me,” Marco stared at Klaus, his eyes cold. 

“Marco, come on man. We-we squared up. I don’t owe you anything,” Klaus was frustrated, if not a little panicked. He held his hands up over his face as Marco drove a fist into his ribs. Groaning, Klaus crumpled to his knees.

Marco was his old dealer, only months before he had been laughing and handing Klaus packets of pills in The Lonely Maiden hallway.

But this time, he was furious. He had followed Klaus through the club all night. Eventually cornering him in the hallway, shoving Klaus against the wall before snarling that Klaus was refusing to pay him. 

“Not you dumbass. Your junkie boyfriend said you would pay later.” Klaus’ heart dropped to his toes, a cold stone of misery settling in his throat.

”Zeke?” He whispered. No way. Zeke would not have been promising payment later. He told Klaus that he hadn’t even talked to dealers for months. _But who did he get the meth from?  
_

 _“_ You gave him fucking meth?”

”It doesn’t matter what I fucking gave him, you owe me. He hasn’t shown his face for two months.” Marco crosses his arms, glaring down at Klaus’ huddled form.

“He overdosed,” Klaus screeched, kicking out at Marco’s shins. He sobbed as the other man stepped back, rendering his attacks useless. 

“You fucker,” Klaus heaved another sob. “You gave him meth?! He didn’t even know what was in it, you know me, you know I wouldn’t have let him try that.”

”It doesn’t matter Klaus,” Marco refused to look down and make eye contact. “He did what he did, I owe people and you owe me. People overdose, he had problems. But now they are yours, and you’re gonna pay me.”

Klaus pulled himself to his feet, staring at the other man like he was on fire. 

“Okay..” Klaus wiped his face, eyeliner staining his skin black. 

Wrenching his arm back, Klaus punched him as hard as he could. His knuckles felt like they exploded in his fist.

Marco yelled and collapsed against the door, his nose exploding blood as it cracked under Klaus’ fist.   
  
Taking his chance, Klaus fled up the stairs. His robe whisking behind him as he shoved through the door. 

Marco roared in the hallway, undoubtedly getting his friends to help him kill Klaus. 

Kicking off his flip flops, Klaus ran. He ran down street after street, dogging into allies as Marco and his friends screamed for him to come out and face them. 

Klaus ran until all he could think of was the next corner to hide in.


	4. What is Next For Me

Klaus’ eyelids peeled themselves from each other, allowing a torrent of blinding sunlight to filter into his vision. Groaning in misery, he buried his face into the fluffy pillow beside him, inhaling the mock smell of watermelon that seemed to permanently sink within the fabric.

It was familiar in a way that allowed for his muscles to relax, his lanky frame sinking deeper into the bed with every breath. 

“Fuck.” He moaned as the room grew brighter as the sun climbed over the sill. Pushing himself upwards from the warm blankets, Klaus shivered and let out a jaw splitting yawn.   
  
Diego’s room was relatively bare. Aside from the bed that Klaus was propped in, a lone dresser with a lamp occupied the space. The walls were naked aside from a single poster of the umbrella academy that was pinned to the wall. The tattered picture hung in all of its lopsided, self glory.

It pulled a smirk from deep within Klaus, but something twisted in his chest painfully when his eyes settled on the permanently still frame of Ben and Klaus side by side, physically at least. One of the last times probably.

Ben had always been Klaus’ wing man, though he was more of Diego’s shadow than Klaus partner in crime. The quieter boy preferred a calm space most the time, which Klaus rarely offered. But that did not stop the two from being the closest siblings in the house. 

With a dark frown, Klaus shook his head. Ben was in the past, the fucker hadn’t even shown his face since Zeke died.   
For fuck sake, _when was the last time he even showed up before that?  
_

Making his way out of the room, Klaus wandered about the apartment till he found the bathroom, reliving himself he then washed his hands. Carefully he avoided looking in the mirror, he was well aware of how long his hair and facial hair had gotten in the few months.   
  
Making his way into the living room, he glanced down at Diego who was still asleep on the couch. His body was curled into a ball, knees tucked against his chest as a purple blanket was clutched around him. It was almost comical, _almost_. 

“Someone still sleeps the same as when we were kids,” Klaus grimaced at the sound of his own voice, it sounded as if he had been screaming for days. Dropping into the recliner, he waited for his brother to come fully awake. 

At the sound of Klaus’ voice, Diego’s eyes had snapped open. He stared blankly at Klaus’ chest as he gathered his bearings of the room.   
  
Klaus watched as every step of wakening took place, the glazed stare, the confusion that slowly dropped into recollection and finally a schooled expression. Pushing himself up, Diego rubbed at his eyes tiredly. 

”So, you really are here,” he grumbled. “I figured if you were really here, you’d be gone by now. Probably with my spoons or some shit.” 

Klaus didn’t bother with a witty comeback, as much as the statement hurt, it was a fair expectation. 

”I still could,” Plucking at his cuticles, he avoided looking at Diego. “I bet my junky friends would just _love_ them.”

Diego snorted and shook his head, “I’m sure they like the finer cutlery. Not my ninety cent spoons.”

Klaus sucked on his finger as he tugged at a cuticle too hard and it started to bleed. “I’ve got places to be, I can go.”

Flippantly, he threw a leg over the arm of the chair and stretched. His muscles pulling so taunt that his body vibrated before sinking back into the cushions. 

“Oh, yeah?” Disbelieving, Diego raised an eyebrow. “So, then why did you come here?” 

With no reason as to why Klaus did come to Diego, he shrugged. “Fine, you got me. I just missed you so much I thought I’d stop by.” 

”Be real with me, dude.” Diego even had the gall to sound offended that Klaus blew off his question. 

”Why don’t you fuck off with the whole caring act thing, huh?” Klaus bit out, “You don’t give a shit and I don’t need you to. You haven’t even bothered finding me in two years. Pay phones, ever fucking heard of ‘em?” 

Fury filled Diego’s face, “Oh, right! Yeah, let me just call the cardboard box on sixth street.” 

“Well jokes on you, it’s on McAdam Drive.” Shock settled on Diego’s face, his mouth parted in a slight ‘o’

”You were homeless?”

”I _am_ homeless, have even since day one. I didn’t exactly have some best friend to go move to Florida with and frolic along the beach sunrise to sunset, Diego.” Anger coated every word, Klaus was practically spitting them towards the end.   
  
“Then you should have come home.” There it was, the same attitude as Luther, the ‘The answer is obvious and you’re a moron’ attitude that made every leader oh so popular.   
  
Vaulting from the chair, Klaus paced furiously about the room.

”That’s the fucking greatest idea I’ve ever heard! Let me just waltz back to the academy where not a god damn goodbye was given,” Marching towards Diego, Klaus fumed and shoved a finger into his chest,

”You couldn’t even bother to say goodbye to me, I waited for one of my loving siblings to beg daddy to let me stay. To let me,” clutching his hands together, Klaus rested his chin on his fists and batted his eyelashes,

“pwease let kwause stay fowever.” A cruel laugh spilled from his lips as he whirled away. “No fuckin’ way, dude. You couldn’t even pretend to be able to function on the basic level of a family unit. You don’t get to tell me what I should have done.” Seething, Klaus threw himself into the chair once again. 

Diego was silent for a moment, Klaus’ furious breathing was the only sound in the silent living room.   
  
“Your communication skills have improved. You still have a dramatic flare, but you’ve gotten better about sharing what is it that you’re feeling.”

Patronising was always how Diego approached being attacked. Belittling and mocking seemed to fit his attitude far better than any of the other siblings. 

“Ya know, the only reason I came here is because the other option was _jail_.” Hurt filled Diego’s eyes, but he quickly put a mask in place. 

“So leave, you did before. Hell Klaus, why don’t you just tell me you’d rather be dead than ask for my help. You know that is how you feel.”

Anxiety tightened in Klaus’ chest as Diego smiled emptily. It eerily carried the same emotion of Zeke the night before he overdosed. 

“What the fuck!?” Diego yelled as Klaus all but flopped out of the chair.

Once he was on the ground, Klaus curled into himself. His elbows clutched around his knees while his hands tugged at his ears.   
  
A tormented scream had suddenly filled his ears, cold pain splitting his eardrums. The feeling of a ghosts cold fingers wrapped along his wrist. 

“Fuck, stupid fuckin-“ gasping Klaus sobbed as the ear splitting cry crescendod even higher than before. Tears squeezed from his eyes without control, the pain in his mind kicking his body into its automatic defence.

Suddenly a warm body was pressed into his back, a gentle hand pushed his head towards Diego’s chest. The rapid thumping of his heartbeat pressed against Klaus’ ears. 

Whimpering, Klaus rubbed furiously at his exposed ear. The painful sound of suction allowed for the scream to be muffled long enough for his own heartbeat to fill his ears. 

“Please don’t make me hum,” Diego muttered as he buried a hand into Klaus’ hair. His fingers rubbed at the spot on his brother’s skull where he always developed headaches during ghost interactions. 

Diego has been through way too many of these exact situations as kids to refuse acting in his brother’s aid. It made Klaus’ heart swell at the idea that Diego was still concerned with how ghosts were affecting him.

The sound of Diego’s heart did little to distract Klaus from the screaming, but he gladly accepted the heat of his brother’s body. Being warm was something Klaus never seemed to quiet manage, he used to tease Ben that he was slowly turning into one of the ghosts that plagued him day and night. _Ben never found it any funny._

Eventually, the ghost wandered away through the house. Drifting into Diego’s room, she quieted. 

“She went in your room.” Klaus didn’t have to see Diego’s face to imagine the uncomfortable grimace that he wore. 

“That’s just great.” 

“Maybe she is going through your panty drawer, you know, seeing if she likes anything you have.” It was plausible, but also probably not why she had disappeared into the bedroom.

Diego didn’t comment on his brother’s pervy ghost explanation, instead he pat his back and rose. With Klaus calm, he stood and stretched his legs. 

“I thought you were getting better at handling how the affect you.” The statement wasn’t accusing, simply curious and slightly concerned. 

“Well I’m not good at it when I’m anxious.” Diego didn’t reply, instead he made his way into the kitchen. 

“I actually chose to come here because-“ Klaus paused as Diego turned to look him in the eyes.

His heart skipped a beat as Diego watched him, his face completely open and hopeful. 

“You make the best waffles.” 

Diego smirked, albeit sadly.   
  
“Well I guess we are having waffles for breakfast.” 


	5. Everything is Different

“It’s not the same.” Tears slid down Klaus’ nose, splashing across his half eaten waffle. Rubbing a hand across his eyes, he smeared his eyeliner across his cheeks.

“God, it’s not that bad,” Diego barked, his ears tinged red. Stuffing another bite of waffle in his mouth, he shook his head at the pitiful sniffles Klaus was pouring out. 

“What changed?” the curly headed man whined. Falling forward onto the table top, Klaus let his upper body fully rest, arms encircling his plate of food. Gently he pet the plate’s rim and whispered something too low for Diego to hear.

“I make them just the same as when Grace showed me when we were kids. I don’t fuckin’ know, Klaus. Maybe you’ve just been exposed to real waffles and not the shitty ones I made for you at sixteen.” Pushing off the table, he moved away and began scraping his plate. Diego flicked the offending waffle chunks into the trash. _They haven’t changes at all_. 

“You don’t understand,” Klaus pulled his body to sit straight in his chair, poking at the now soggy waffle with his fork he looked mournfully at Diego’s back.   
  
“I am a liar now,” a honest to goodness _hiccup_ sounded from Klaus.

“I bragged to so many people about these waffles. I’ve given multitudes of drug fuelled speeches about how great, my brother Diego’s,” throwing a hand towards the referenced person, Klaus trailed off into an abhorrent tone. “Waffles are, ‘The great that there will ever be,’ that’s what I said.” 

Diego groaned, head tipping back in defeat. “Klaus I really think you’re being a little on the dramatic side.” 

“Diego!” An offended squeal and scrape of chair promised a face full of Klaus. 

“You fiend. I have a code of honour!” A passion was raging in Klaus’ eyes, _passion for what? Who knows. Diego was busy trying to dodge a syrupy finger in his face.  
_

“I do not suggest food or, or snacks! That I personally would not kill for while I have the munchies.” Sitting on the counter, Klaus took a deep breath, preparing to monologue as Diego did the dishes.

“My god, here we go again.”

”God has nothing to do with it, Diego. This is your misery affecting your scale of waffle production.” 

“I’m perfectly happy,” irritation growing, Diego focuses on getting the sticky syrup off of Klaus’ glass. 

“Surely you are, taking in little old me, living in this shoe box.” A self deprecating giggle and then silence. 

“I like the company,” Diego offered as he scrubbed at a bowl of old oatmeal. 

“If company is what you want, I know a few girls. Hell, worked with and made besties with one of them. She’s cheap too.” 

Diego’s body seemed to shoot into rigid form, his hands automatically moving to snap still at his sides. Unfortunately, the fork in his grasp did not disappear, and instead pricked him painfully in the gut on the way down. 

“De, what the heck man.”   
  
“Shut up, it’s fine. It, what do you-“

Frustration radiated in the room as Diego searches the drawers for a towel. Finding one, he quickly pat his hands dry before returning to stand directly before Klaus. 

“What do you mean you worked together?”

Diego glared at the yellowing cabinet that Klaus was resting against. He couldn’t make himself stare into his brother’s face, he could already imagine the gross twisting of his stomach to come when Klaus confirmed what he said earlier. 

“Well, when two people love each other very much.” Nervous rambling kicking into gear, Klaus started to knock his hands together in the ASL sign for sex. 

“No,” Diego grabbed Klaus’ hands, forcing them to rest in his grasp atop of Klaus’ thighs. “Just be straight up, don’t ramble and say anything idiotic. Just be honest.” 

“Okay,” Klaus drew out the second syllable, his eyes bouncing all around the kitchen. _Anywhere but Diego’s_ , which were finally locked onto Klaus’ face. 

“Cheap? Girl, working together, remember?” Diego ground out, his cheeks were staring to ache from how hard his jaw was clenched. 

“It really isn’t important, I mean hey, I haven’t worked with her in like,” pulling his hands free, he made a show of counting his fingers.

Klaus put on a shit eating grin, “like a whole two weeks!” 

“You were selling yourself.”  
  
“Bingo.” Klaus shot him finger guns, but his shaking hands took the humour of the motion. 

“Why? What the hell. That’s so,” Diego bit his tongue when Klaus winced and ducked his head.

“When did you pick that up?” 

“De, this really isn’t the chat we need to have now, I’ve been here like three days. It takes at least a week in all the romantic movies. Maybe write me a letter first.”

Pushing Diego to the side, Klaus slid off the counter and began clearing his plate from the table. 

“No, I deserve to know.” Desperation wasn’t a tone familiar to Diego. But right now, it was all he could feel, pulsing in his veins. 

“Okay, well if you must. Then like a week or so after I moved out.” The implied _kicked out_ hung in the room. 

Klaus shut the trash can lid and dumped his plate into the soapy water of the sink, turning to lean his hip against the counter, he crossed his arms. 

Diego clenched his jaw, _two years._ Klaus was watching him in silence.

For the first time, Diego saw him. Saw the way that his curly hair was ruffled and puffy on all sides. He saw the way that even his beard was on the longer side, the normally kept clean goatee, was instead haggard and overgrown. His eyes had gained thirty years, they were worried and, _waiting for Diego to respond._

“Well,” dragging a hand down his face, Diego closed his eyes. His body suddenly tired and just deflated. 

“You needn’t say anything, I was okay.” Klaus mumbled. 

“Were you?” Klaus didn’t reply to that. Instead he focused on tracing his palm tattoos. 

“Fuck, Klaus. You’re just so,” Diego paused to find the right word. 

“Disgusting?” A hallow suggestion.

Diego’s head shot up, eyes wide as he stared at Klaus. His brother wouldn’t look up and meet his gaze, shame and misery rolled off of his slumped shoulders in waves. 

“No, never, Klaus. You’re so much better than that-“ Klaus snorted loudly and nodded is faux agreement. 

Taking a meek step forward, Diego rested a hand on Klaus’ shoulder, _who to his credit, did not flinch away from the contact_. Resting his other hand on Klaus’ hip, Diego tugged his brother into an awkward hug. 

Klaus all but sunk into his embrace. Bony fingers dug into the small of Diego’s back As his arms held onto Diego with strength that he always forget his brother possessed. 

“If you just stayed home, you wouldn’t have had to-“ Diego started to reason.

“I would have killed myself.” Diego’s stomach dropped at Klaus’ confession. An ugly head of anger reared inside his chest. 

“Don’t say that,” Diego whispered into the side of Klaus’ head. 

“Diego, it’s true. I would have.” 

“I didn’t know.” Plunging a hand into Klaus hair, Diego rubbed lightly. Klaus rested his forehead on the peak of his shoulder, letting his brother hold him. 

”Klaus how did I not know it was that bad?” A muted shrug was the only response. Not wanting to push him farther than he already had, Diego accepted it begrudgingly.   
  
“Well, we are gonna go shopping. And going to find you a hair cut in town,” separating himself from Klaus’ limbs, Diego waiting for his brothers green eyes to meet his own. 

Klaus took a step back, a small smile playing on his lips as he nodded.


End file.
